VICTORIA COUNTY

Danny Garcia on Tuesday secured the Democratic Party nomination for a place on the fall general election ballot.

In complete, but unofficial results, Garcia, a retired transportation specialist with Texas Department of Transportation, captured 69 percent of the votes to beat his opponent, former Justice of the Peace Annie Ramos for the Precinct 1 commissioner seat.

Ramos took 31 percent of the votes Tuesday night.

Garcia said he is already working toward the November election.

"I'm just so ready to get to work," he said. "I see the things that need to be done and I'm ready to fix the things that have been (neglected)."

He will face Republican Party nominee Tony Mallette in November for the commissioner seat.

Of the 49,014 registered voters in Victoria County, 6,265, or a little more than 12 percent turned out for the runoff election.

Elections Administrator George Matthews said he was pleasantly surprised by the turnout.

"We've had runoffs with turnouts at 5, 6 and 7 percent," Matthews said.

He said the work candidates did to inform voters locally as well as the advertisements by state and federal candidates triggered the higher than expected turnout.

Garcia thanked his voters, his campaign team members, specifically Lupe and MaryAnn Rivera, and his wife, Frances, for their support during the race.

"We thought this day would never get here," Garcia said. "I didn't do this by myself ... We decided back in December to put this in God's hands."

In the May primary, Garcia received 587 votes, or 39.74 percent, to Ramos' 373 votes, or 25.25 percent. He led the six-person field.

Ramos said she was at peace with the election's outcome.

"I know that he's already won," she said before knowing the final results.

She said she plans to support Garcia in November.

"That's what we're supposed to do, support each other," she said. "This is the first time I've ever been defeated. It had to come sooner or later."

Democratic Party Chairwoman Kelli Gill said the commissioner race between Garcia and Ramos was a huge party draw.

"I'm glad everybody came out and voted," she said. "Their voice matters, and it tells me that people care."